TV commentary is far easier than the ball-by-ball discipline of radio,

Born in Vienna and educated in Darjeeling and Kolkata, Ashis Ray is an award-winning broadcaster and print journalist who began his career as a Test match commentator at the age of just 24. He was part of the BBC team that covered several Cricket World Cups from 1979 onwards, including the 1983 tournament where India secured a historic victory. He is also the longest-serving Indian foreign correspondent, having held the role continuously since 1977. Ray regularly analyses international affairs on the BBC and was CNN's founding South Asia bureau chief before becoming its editor-at-large. He has also served as a correspondent and presenter for ITN. Additionally, he has contributed to the Ananda Bazar Group, The Times of India, The Tribune, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Guardian, The Observer, The Times, Financial Times, and Nikkei Asia, among others. His books include Cricket World Cup: The Indian Challenge, Laid to Rest: The Controversy Over Subhas Chandra Bose's Death, and his latest work from Oxford on India’s freedom movement, The Trial That Shook Britain, now published by Routledge. He has also served a record number of terms as president of the Indian Journalists' Association (Europe).

- Mukul Varma

You began as one of the youngest cricket commentators, with Australia's Sun-Herald hailing you as the “Voice of India,” and Trevor Bailey praising your “precise classical English.” How did you break into commentary, and what were your most memorable moments in the box?

A. Sports commentary came quite naturally to me. When I was at boarding school in St Paul's, Darjeeling, one of our teachers encouraged us to listen to cricket commentary on BBC World Service Radio. This was in 1963. Frank Worrell was captaining the West Indies in England. It was an electrifying team—Conrad Hunte, Rohan Kanhai, Garry Sobers, Basil Butcher, Wesley Hall, Charlie Griffith, and Lance Gibbs. They won the series 3-1. From that summer, I absorbed the style and techniques of the finest English commentators. I later listened to Radio Australia, too, noting their slightly different yet equally polished approach. TV commentary is far easier than the ball-by-ball discipline of radio. My most memorable experience was providing live commentary during India’s 1983 World Cup win—watching Kapil Dev lift the trophy at Lord’s was unforgettable.

Q. You've written extensively on geopolitics. How do you see India’s relationships with neighboring countries evolving—especially as SAARC appears increasingly redundant, impacting trade, culture, and sporting ties?

A. India’s relations with its neighbours are at their lowest ebb. We are virtually without allies. Tensions with Pakistan are near-hostile, relations with China are strained, and the situation with Bangladesh is becoming concerning. The historic special relationship with Nepal has eroded. Ties with Myanmar are fraught, and Sri Lanka appears to be playing India off against China. Only tiny Bhutan remains a steadfast friend.